Those Memories
by emma.stewart.jess.darcy
Summary: In this story, all the MDBC Couples are together. Emma x Stewart, Jess x Darcy, Megan x Simon, Cassidy x Tristan and Becca x Zach are all couples.
1. Chapter 1

_Those Memories_

_Chapter 1_

**In this story, all the MDBC Couples are together. Emma x Stewart, Jess x Darcy, Megan x Simon, Cassidy x Tristan and Becca x Zach are all couples.**

**Disclaimer: The Mother-Daughter Book Club and all its content belong to Heather Vogel Frederick.**

**Jess's POV**

I'm trying to find my favorite book, _Jane Eyre_, I hear a loud voice come from the garage. "Jess!"

In another time, this might seem like a bad thing. It's like a scene in a horror movie, when the beautiful girl hears someone and figures it's someone she knows, but it's really a ghost. Or a monster. Right now, it's neither. It's just my gorgeous husband, Darcy Hawthorne. We're going meet with my old Mother-Daughter Book Club. He's nervous. Darcy always yells when he's nervous. It's just a reflex.

Why, you might ask? I'm pregnant. I'm only three months along, and the only people I've told are Darcy (duh, he's the baby's father, why wouldn't I tell him?) and his sister Emma (my best friend, and the baby's aunt). They're the only people I've told yet. We want to tell the book club tonight. That's why Darcy's nervous. I'm nervous, too, but not half as much. I've known Emma, Cassidy, Megan, Becca, and Sophie for years.

"Jess? Hello? I've been calling your name for five minutes?" Darcy calls again. His voice is firm, like the stubborn wind of a hurricane. That's Darcy for you, but I don't care. He's my dream guy, and I know that he's doing it because cares about me. He's just scared.

I don't take it personally, grabbing my purse, slipping on some comfortable shoes, and rushing out the door. "Coming, baby!" I yell. I can't see Darcy, but I know that he's smiling right now. I can feel it. I groan as I head out to the car. Pregnancy is not easy.

Darcy places his hands on my waist and says, "You know, you'll have to take it slow these next few months, Jess. Just calm down!" He's not reprimanding me, though. It's more like recommendation and caring. Darcy Hawthorne, ever the overprotective husband, refuses to let me do anything as we drive to Emma's house. He has to be the one to drive, to park, and to carry my copy of _Jane Eyre_ as if it's suddenly turned to stone. He's acting really sweet, and I laugh, but he's not at all subtle. So much for not being obvious about my being pregnant.

Darcy and I are late, so we awkwardly shuffle into Emma's living room like a couple of middle-schoolers late for math class. I'm sure that no cares, since we've known each other for years. It's still awkward, though, and I can feel my stare harden. Am I being too obvious? Probably. Darcy tries to be subtle, so he just drapes his arm over my shoulder as we sit down.

Surprisingly, no one takes notice of our behavior, and Emma starts talking. "So, how is everybody?" she asks. I can feel Darcy tense up, because she knows. He tries to look away. I secretly grin, just because he's such a good husband.

Emma is seven months pregnant with her first child, and Stewart hovers over her day and night like a UFO. I know how she feels, since Darcy is the same way. She says that Stewart wants to name the baby Stewart Chadwick, Jr. if it's a boy, but she thinks that the baby should have an original name.

Emma's also ruled out the weird girl names Stewart came up with: Penelope, Estefania, and Calliope. "I love your mom, but the baby needs his or her own name, honey." Emma said when Stewart brought it up. I laughed when she told me about it on the phone.

Stewart sits up and says, "We're doing well. I still have my job as a writer at the Boston Post, and, as you know, Em's seven months pregnant. She's also working on her book at home, but it's been put off because of the pregnancy." Even though Stewart doesn't know about you-know-what, Darcy still keeps his deep brown eyes stern and stiff.

Becca and Zach smile. "We're doing well. Zach is a lawyer, and I'm an architect. Eric is good too, and so is the new baby." Says Becca. She cradles her son, Eric. He's fifteen months old, and has Becca's shade of blond hair and Zach's blue eyes. Becca's pregnant again, and is about two months along. She's hoping for a girl.

Cassidy and Tristan walk in, and Cassidy tries to stifle a laugh, but it fails miserably. Tristan is wearing a flamenco-dancer red skating outfit. Its jacket is trimmed with black stripes going sideways and white polka dots. He looks like a fire hydrant that got a Dalmatian stuck to it.

His simple back shirt looks silly too. Instead of getting cut off straight, like most shirts do, this shirt looks like a large black triangle got attached to the hem, as if it's trying to shield Tristan's equally red pants. They're long and baggy and have white pockets with black speckles spattered onto them. Tristan looks down at the ground.

"Um…" Darcy says, trying to be polite. He's always well-mannered, and he loves joking around. He stares at Stewart, who's also trying not to laugh. Darcy presses his lips together and tries to act casual. At least there's something distracting everyone from my hidden pregnancy.

"It-It's interesting, isn't it?" asks Stewart. He glances at Emma.

"I can explain," says Tristan defensively.

"You'd better be able to." Whispers Zach to Becca.

Cassidy fingers the red cloth of Tristan's bright jacket. "Well, at least it's not spandex." She says, shrugging, thinking of a familiar blue spandex jumpsuit that Tristan wore one year.

That does it for Darcy and Stewart, along with Cassidy and Simon and everyone else in the room. Cassidy wipes her eyes and takes Tristan's red jacket, trying it on. She struts around the room, pretending to dance. Her arms flap like wings, and Cassidy shuffles her feet noisily like she's trying to skate.

Tristan laughs too, and explains about the outfit. "I have a skating competition, and the skating outfits got mixed up. Anyway, I had to practice in this one, because you're not allowed on the ice without a uniform. When Cassidy and I finished, there wasn't enough time to go home and change. That was the original plan, but we got caught up in traffic, so we were late." He takes his bulls-eye red jacket back from Cassidy.

Simon grins and says, "Talk about Fashion Faux Pas. Fashionista Jane would've definitely blogged this," Megan blushes, but she laughs too. Tristan dramatically frowns and crosses his arms.

However, he gives Cassidy his (ugly) jacket when she shivers, and everyone smiles. However, Cassidy throws his jacket back after realizing that she looks awful, and Simon adjusts it so it drapes over Tristan's face like a lampshade.

"Changing the topic," Tristan says, embarrassed. "How's _everyone else_?" Tristan shifts the jacket from his face to his body so he can be heard.

"We're good," says Megan. "Simon got a new job as a history professor at Boston College, and my fashion career is doing great. The baby's good too." Megan's daughter, Anna Claire Berkeley, is about four months old, and she's adorable.

Cassidy then speaks up. "Tristan and I are good. He's an ice dancer, still, and I ice dance and play hockey. Tristan is way too protective, though, since I'm five months pregnant. "

"How about you, Jess?" Emma prompts. Darcy throws her a thankful glance. He's such a good brother. He's an even better husband.

"We're good. I'm a professor at Dartmouth, and so is Darcy. I teach math, and he teaches history, though. It's really nice, because we get to see each other all the time. And…"

"And…?" ask Cassidy, Becca, and Megan. I'm nervous now, so I stare at Darcy and he motions at me to keep going. I can tell that he's tense, and his eyes look like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I'm pregnant." All my friends come up and try to hug me, but Emma comes first. We hug, and I feel calmer now that everyone knows. Darcy is next, and kisses my forehead lovingly. His eyes sparkle like before he was so scared, and I kiss his cheek.

"Hey, how come Emma gets to go first?" He asks accusingly. I can tell that Darcy is joking, though, because his smile is wide and peaceful.

"BFBB." I tell him, and hug Emma again. Then I hug Cassidy, and Megan, and Becca, along with their husbands.

"What, nothing for Uncle Stewart?" Stewart asks jokingly, and I hug him as well.

"Here you go, _Uncle Stewart_." I say, smiling.

He grins and hugs me.

When Stewart lets go, I see Darcy standing next to me. Darcy tugs my braid just the way he always has ever since I was six, and then he reaches down and takes my hand, just like the very first time he did in England.


	2. Chapter 2-Firsts and Lasts

**Thanks for all the kind reviews and all the views on Chapter One! I'll try to post once every week (or two.) Disclaimer: all rights to Heather Vogel Frederick. I don't own the MDBC or any of its characters. **

**Becca's POV**

Everyone's laughing and hugging Jess, so I go along. I don't want to be my old middle-school self, selfish and snotty. Jess is really lucky to be with Darcy, and she deserves it, too. I liked Darcy, too, but not like she did. Back then, it was practically a Fab Four rule to like Darcy Hawthorne, but no one got serious. Darcy kisses Jess, and they sit down together.

I smile and look over at Zach and Eric. I still can't believe that I'm an actual mother. Especially since baby number two is on the way. I'm hoping for a girl, but Zach wants another boy so Eric can have a younger brother.

Meanwhile, Emma starts talking about her current life, and everyone else jumps in. So do I. Emma and Stewart live in a medium-sized two-story house full of books, just like Emma's old house. I already know this because I visited about a month ago, when they were looking for a house to move into. Emma wanted a house full of bookshelves, and Stewart did too. He nearly fainted when he saw it.

Jess and Darcy live near the Chadwicks (it still feels weird calling Emma a Chadwick), so they visit each other all the time. Jess and Darcy live in in a medium two-story house, even though they both teach at Dartmouth, which is in New Hampshire. They take the subway every day.

Zach and I have a one-story house, which is actually pretty since we're going to be a family of four. Zach's a lawyer, so he takes the subway every morning, and I'm an architect. Right now, all the book club moms own Pies and Prejudice, and I'm helping them with a remodel.

Megan and Simon are happily married. Simon drives every day to Boston University, and Megan stays home (in her gorgeous, traditional-style, three-story house. She finally admitted she preferred old-style houses to one made of metal and glass.) Megs is now a fashion designer, and has her own clothing line and a huge sewing room.

Finally, Cassidy and Tristan speak up. Everyone notices that Tristan has draped himself in a huge white sheet from Emma's linen closet. He looks like a kid dressed up as a ghost on Halloween. Cass is a professional hockey player, and Tristan is an Olympic ice dancer. In fact, they've both been in the Olympics; Cassidy won gold and Tristan got a silver medal. They have an apartment (for now) which isn't tiny, but isn't huge either.

While Tristan is done talking about his apartment, he busies himself by talking about ice dancing and its sophistication, I notice Simon roll his eyes, because he's probably had this lecture many times.

Cassidy sneaks closer to Tristan and whips off his sheet, magician-cape style. His still-bright Flamenco suit is a stark contrast from the snow-white blanket.

Tristan reddens, and Simon leans over and stage whispers, "Tristan, I know you're embarrassed, but please don't blush It looks like your costume is bleeding."

Zach turns and doubles over with laughter, along with Darcy and Stewart and Simon himself. Tristan finally gives in and laughs too. So do all the book club wives.

The next topic Emma brings up is parents. Her parents still live here, just like Jess's parents, Megan's parents, Zach's, and Becca's. Simon and Tristan's parents are in England, because of Professor Berkeley's teaching job. Everyone's parents still live in their original homes, even the my in-laws, the Nortons.

Since we're all together, I suggest we play a game. No one can decide between charades, impressions, or a board game, so we let Jess pick a game. After all, she made her big announcement tonight. I notice that Darcy won't let her do any manual work (down to getting her a glass of water and everything.)

I used to think that overprotective boyfriends/husbands were annoying and overbearing, but that was before I got one. Zach is really sweet, especially when it comes to Eric. And baby number two.

Jess finally chooses on a game called 'Firsts and Lasts'. She says it has to do with questions about your first/last whatever. One person asks the question, and the last person to answer has to ask the next question, and so on and so forth.

Emma starts off with her question of 'first gift from your husband'? She flicks a smile over at Stewart, and I notice that she's still wearing the locket from Christmas so many years ago. I only hope she's replaced the photo of Yo-Yo and Pip.

Emma adds 'after marriage' after Simon blushes and tells everyone that he didn't get Megan a Christmas gift that year because they'd broken up. Now it's Tristan's turn to laugh at his brother.

I go first and tell everyone that my first after-marriage gift from Zach was a vacation in Paris. Zach had known that I'd always dreamed of going and took me there for a week. We saw the Eiffel and walked by the Seine and did everything that Megan had done when she was in Paris, plus more. It was magical.

Jess is next, and takes off her necklace, showing it to all the girls, who ooh and ahh. It's an exact remake of the one she wore in the talent show as December, with real diamonds and silver. The necklace looks like a web of crystal stars, made to imitate a constellation. It's gorgeous, and I know it must've cost Darcy a fortune to have it custom-made.

Cassidy's first post-marriage present from Tristan was their dog, Red, who has reddish-brown fur. Tristan says he adopted Red because it reminded him of Cassidy's hair, but the guys stifle laughs and start making more flamenco-jacket jokes.

Emma's gift from Stewart was a charm bracelet, with 'Stewart and Emma' engraved on the inside. Apparently, it's a charm bracelet, and every year he buys her another charm. Right now, she has two: one of a book (obviously) and a heart-shaped one.

Simon's gift to Megan was a pair of earrings shaped like heart-shaped keys. He then gave her a real key and led Megan to find her brand-new sewing room in their huge mansion. Simon and Megan are lucky, but I'm even luckier to have Zach as my husband.

The husbands of the book club are about to start talking about their first gifts, and I grin over at Zach, knowing he'll remember my gift to him.


	3. Chapter 3-Guess Who?

**Thanks for the kind reviews and all the views for chapters one and two! Disclaimer: I don't own MDBC, Heather Vogel Frederick owns it and all its characters. **

**Emma's POV**

I adjust my bracelet and smile over at Stewart. We're busy playing Firsts and Lasts, a game Jess introduced to us. The topic (right now, at least) is after-marriage gifts.

Stewart looks back at me, and volunteers to go first for the husbands. Of course, I already know what his first after-marriage gift was. It was a copy of four of my books, the _Stinkerbelle _series (so far), which I now write for a living. I had all the pages laminated, even the dedication and the table of contents. It's kind of our thing to write little notes to each other in expo marker and erase them later.

Darcy swoons dramatically, even using his (poor) British accent to sound like a teenage girl, and I swat him, while Jess gives him a swift smirk. Darcy turns to Jess and quickly kisses her on the cheek. Now it's my turn to swoon. I'm just joking, though. Jess and my brother fit together just like twin puzzle pieces.

Stewart crosses his arms and gives his best Ebenezer Scrooge impression at this lack of attention between brother and sister-in-laws. I roll my eyes and he flicks his over at me, smiling. Goodness, I love his eyes. They're one of his best qualities.

Everyone else isn't paying attention to the four of us, which I'm kind of grateful for. Tristan says his first post-marriage gift from Cass was an antique Christmas ornament, just like Cassidy's dad used to give to her mom. I wish he could've met Tristan and Chloe and Stanley and, of course, the whole book club. I think that Cassidy's dad would've loved to meet us.

While the wives are debating over whether Zach, Simon, Tristan, or Darcy should go next, I spy a tall, blonde figure standing behind the door. It's Cassidy's older sister Courtney, hand in hand with her husband Grant. Becca notices and tries to avert attention away from the door, while Courtney and Grant frantically try to hide under the door. It's really funny since Courtney's extremely tall, just like her sister and mother, and Grant's even taller.

Tristan distracts Cassidy by asking her to help him with his jacket zipper; meanwhile, Courtney and Grant slip from the front door and onto the couch. We all crowd around the two, like moths to a light.

Cassidy reenters with Tristan, and they're both too busy arguing about the zipper situation (apparently Tristan's a terrible liar when it comes to thinking on his feet, since his jacket is _Velcro_) to notice us. She eyes us critically. "Why are you all crowded around the couch?" A suspicious tone is clear in her voice, along with confusion.

Darcy cocks an eyebrow. "No reason, just a change of pace from _sitting_ on the couch. We feel that this lovely, uplifting sofa deserves some time to itself, you know?" He says sarcastically. Jess and I give each other a glance at the same time, and I smile.

I see Megan counting down on her manicured fingers, and we part on three like clockwork. Courtney and Grant are revealed, but they're just perched on it, sitting naturally, like characters in an everyday movie.

"Oh, hey, Cass. What's up?" Courtney asks, with a bored look on her face and a yawn escaping from her mouth. Grant gives a feeble, dull wave, and goes back to talking with Courtney.

"What's up? _What's up_? Courtney! Grant! What are you doing here? Leo is at home! You guys have work! H-h-_how_?!" Cassidy shrieks. (Leo Bell is Courtney and Grant's two-year-old son).

Grant puts his hand on his hip and glares at her jokingly. "Well, _Cassidy Ann Sloane_, if you're so eager to drive us away, I guess we'll just go back to California." He then pretends to leave, complete with a dramatic door slam. Courtney rolls her eyes.

She lets Grant back in, and they explain that Leo is with Stanley and Clementine, and that they had extra frequent-flyer miles and thought they'd pay Concord a visit. Cassidy laughs and hugs Courtney and Grant. We all do the same. I invite Courtney and Grant to play Firsts and Lasts with us.

Since all the wives except Courtney have already gone, she goes before Grant. Her first after-marriage gift was her wedding ring, which belonged to Grant's great-grandmother. It's antique, with a band of diamonds stretched across like a parabola. Grant's first gift was a tennis racket signed by his favorite tennis player, which was even used in one of his games. Grant's favorite tennis player, not Grant himself. Courtney says he treats that racket better than he treats her.

"Looks like you have some competition coming, don't you?" says Cassidy, with a sassy smirk pleated on her face while she looks at Grant. "Looks like Grant's more interested in his tennis court than he is in his _wife_ Court." She's just joking, though. Courtney and Grant adore each other, and their wedding was wonderful. Just like mine, which was shared with all the other book club couples.

"Oh, _definitely_." Courtney says dramatically, while nodding. Everybody finishes hugging and laughing, so we pull up two chairs and let Courtney and Grant sit down. Megs chooses Simon to go next.

Simon's gift from Megan was a romantic night at the local movie theater, just like way back when she gave him a movie certificate for his birthday party. The book club starts reliving happy memories from the party. Cassidy laughs at Tristan when they remember how he refused to play Sorry with them that night.

"Sorry, but I just didn't want to play Sorry that night!" Tristan protests. Cassidy shoots him a dull, do-you-really-think-I'd-believe-that look quickly. "Besides, _she's_ the one that poked fun at me and made me the laughing spectacle of Fashionista Jane." Tristan shrugs a shoulder over to Megs and crosses his arms.

Becca volunteers her husband to go next. I think about elementary school and how I liked Zach all those years. I don't even know why. He's popular and athletic and reckless, and I'm quiet and artistic and poetic, I guess. Just like Stewart, who's shy but hilarious, and loves writing. Stewart's a much better match for me than Zach Norton would ever be.

Zach goes on and on about his gift from Becca, which were front-row tickets to go see his favorite baseball team, the Red Sox. I see Zach flick his firm blue eyes to Cassidy for a moment, and I recall that they dated back in high school and she dumped him for Tris. Does he still love her? After all, we all know that Zach kissed Cassidy way back when they were crazy for each other. They spent a lot of time together, and I'm pretty sure that he was devastated when she left him.

Then I see Zach smile and put his arms around Becca, and I know that everything's all well in the Cassidy-Zach-Tristan complicated love maze. Cass and Zach just don't seem compatible, other than the fact that they both love sports. I know Tristan loves Cassidy.

The last gift, from my brother to Jess, goes quickly. I already know what she got him, of course. That's just the kind of thing that a best friend is supposed to know. Plus, Darcy's my older brother. From Jess, Darcy got hockey tickets to go see the Bruins. Stanley helped them out, since he's an accountant and does their taxes, even now. They had a great time at the game, and even got to go on the Kiss Cam.

I know because Jess called me afterward and told me that she was embarrassed, but not _Waldo_ or _Rupert Loomis's kiss_ kind of embarrassment. More like happy humiliation, if you can call it that. Like when Cassidy was caught wearing sneakers under her dress as Jo March, in our very first year of book club.

Laughing with the rest of the book club couples when Jess talks about the Kiss Cam, I try to think of the next topic. Coincidentally, everyone else puts in their two cents. We choose many random topics. Your couple song, when your anniversary is, first kiss, first date, favorite book we read, least favorite mother (everyone looks over at Becca when Cassidy says this), dream job, dream date, alma mater, birthdays, favorite subject in school, etc.

We also think of some what if's. What if you married someone else, who would it be? If you could switch lives with someone here, who would it be? If you wrote a sequel or a new addition to a series that we read, what would it be? No one can decide, and voices clash like ringing bells. I can't choose any other place I'd rather be, though, or any other people to be with. Book club is perfect.

Grant decides that we'll vote on our top five favorite, and we'll eliminate the rest. As he makes up cover our eyes and lower our heads, I feel a sense of déjà vu. It's like everybody is back in middle school all over again. I see Jess squint her eyes at Darcy and he stifles a laugh. Quickly, he joins her.

I think back to real middle school. We haven't met the Berkeleys or the Fairfaxes. I barely know Stewart, and Zach is what makes my heart throb when I wake up. Becca Chadwick is still the meanest girl in the sixth grade, and Megan and I haven't reconciled since that awful summer of fourth grade. Jess likes Darcy, but he's clueless. Times have certainly changed since then.

**If you look up Heather's blog, you see that she's on hiatus. Because she's writing MDBC book 7! Thanks for all the kind reviews **** if you want, help me choose what the next topic will be for Firsts and Lasts. Thanks! **


	4. Chapter 4-Our Song

**Wow, so sorry that I haven't been updating regularly, I've been thinking up one-shot ideas. Anyway, here's chapter four of Those Memories! Disclaimer: I don't own MDBC or any of its characters; those all belong to its author, Heather Vogel Frederick.**

**Chapter Four**

**Cassidy's POV** (as requested)

Zach instructs the voting as goes: there are couple songs, first date, favorite book we read, and wedding experiences. Of course, we all had our weddings together. I never thought I'd love Tristan Berkeley that much, but he's something special.

We are all instructed to lower our heads and cover our eyes with our arms. Tristan gets reprimanded by Simon for peeking, and we all laugh. Once a Berkeley, always a Berkeley, I always say. Grant counts the votes, and couple songs win. All the couples get together to "consult" their couple song with each other.

Darcy loudly asks if songs without lyrics are allowed, and Grant firmly shakes his head no, saying that we need to explain the songs, and lyrics will help with that.

Darcy pretends to pout and protests, "But lyrics aren't important! Every song is important! And Jess was so looking forward to the dance of the maypole maidens!"

Jess gapes at him, mouth wide open, for a split second and swats her husband's arm. "No, I don't think so. Our couple song is either Part of Your World, Kiss the Girl, or Under the Sea. We're still deciding, after all."

I start laughing, just like everyone else in the room. Grinning at Tristan, I loosen my thick red hair from its ponytail and flip my head backwards, like Ariel does when she comes out of the water. "Jealous yet, Hawthorne?" I ask.

Darcy reddens and tenses up further. "Come on, I was six years old!"

"You were a very cute, very obsessed six-year-old." Emma finally says, after laughing so long. "I still remember you dressing up as Ariel for Halloween and everything."

"And what did _you_ dress up as for Halloween, Emma Hawthorne the noble?" Darcy says.

"Number one, it's Emma _Chadwick_ now, and number two, I dressed up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast, a Disney character that actually matches my gender." She answers quickly. I see Darcy roll his eyes when she says "Beast", because of the play and all that.

Everyone is laughing by now, and Darcy has realized that he's not going to win this debate against his little sister, so he gives up. My book club friends are the best.

I grin widely at everyone in our book club. Who knew that a librarian, a former supermodel, and a still-crazy tofu addict could've formed something so great? I've grown to love everyone over the years, even lip-gloss-applying shopaholics like Rebecca Chadwick and bitter, stuck-up snobs like Tristan that are really just alone on the inside.

Enough with all the gooshy stuff. I stare across the room at Courtney, who's busy talking and laughing about something Grant said. Tris is trying to get Stewart's too-small coat small, and it's not working because Stewart's about average height and Tristan's about my height.

Keep in mind that Tristan and I are like towering skyscrapers compared to shorter people like Emma and Stewart Chadwick.

I smirk right at Tristan's flamenco jacket hung on the silver closet doorknob. It seems to scream "**I belong to Tristan Berkeley, king of bad fashion**" every time I look at it. Stewart's undersized jacket isn't helping much. Fumbling with the zipper while he talks, Tristan is desperately trying to hide his ugly black shirt that looks like a handkerchief got fused to a t-shirt by some freak accident.

Trying not to laugh is hard, and I hope my silent snickering is actually silent, and not obvious. When your husband is (attempting to) put on a jacket about three sizes too small, you don't really need an excuse to laugh at him. I think about Mom lecturing me on my manners, and I miss her again.

Our family's been super busy, what with Leo's birth and my marriage and moving and all that. I remember that Mom's with Leo, Stanley, and probably Chloe in California, though, and we'll visit her as planned in a few weeks.

Most people would've thought that famous, former supermodel Clementine would take being a grandparent as a sign of age, but, surprisingly enough, she's beyond thrilled and is slightly obsessed with showing him to us.

I can't believe that I'm an aunt, though. "Aunt Cassidy" sounds like a woman you'd find dutifully sewing handkerchiefs after the war, not somebody that's snuck goat cheese into a girl's suitcase and dressed up as a boy to get into a hockey team.

During my little blast-from-the-past, Tristan has managed to get Stewart's jacket on, but the zipper is stuck. Stuck as in, jammed like Boston's famous traffic. This time, however, it's actually jammed and isn't a bad excuse to divert my attention.

All the guys are lining up to test their strength against the Chadwick jacket. Life's never dull with Tristan around, that's for sure. That's one thing I like about him.

Tristan's really straightforward, and always speaks his mind. Like me, he rushes in and wings things. That's my philosophy; I make my own rules. Hey, growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.

Megan rolls her eyes, cuts into the line, and breaks Tristan free after a few seconds of mild tugging. Tristan looks shocked, and Simon starts clapping slowly. Darcy looks like he's about to break into laughter, while Stewart rushes over and crushes his jacket in a tight hug. Good old dorky Stew-rat never fails.

"Hey, having your own fashion line comes in handy sometimes." Megs counters. Tristan tries to play the "she-loosened-it" card, but the argument crashes like a broken paper airplane. In a rainstorm. "Good job, hon." Simon leans over and grins at her.

Simon clears his throat and announces that we have a few more minutes. Even though we've all been pretty distracted in the last fifteen minutes, nobody seems worried. I guess every couple just naturally knows this stuff about each other. I certainly what my couple song with Tristan is.

It's About the Boy by Little Mix. Courtney got me into them when we moved to Concord. We both got hooked by their relatable lyrics and how they applied perfectly. I told Tristan, too, but long after Chawton (where there was a certain kiss involved).

It goes:

_He's got me up, I can't come down_

_ He's got me locked and I don't want out_

_ Got me running around like a love fool_

_Taking me down, I can't stop_

_ He's got me good, I got it bad_

_ He's got me feeling like a girl gone mad_

_ I know he's playing my heart and I ain't got no choice_

_ There's just something about the boy_

You know, because I was trying to forget about Tristan and I just couldn't stop thinking about him. I couldn't stand to stick around with Zach the bad kisser.

We explain this to the eager group of book club couples, and then Courtney whisper-yells "I discovered them!" to me. Of course, I omit the stuff about Zach. Give me some credit for living with a supermodel and her clone daughter for years.

Simon frantically gives Courtney a shushing motion, and proceeds to say his couple song with Megan.

It's Back to December by Taylor Swift, which fits in perfectly because Simon broke up with Megs (and over email, of all things) in December of our sophomore year, and Simon apologized with that song.

The chorus is:

_So this is me swallowing my pride _

_Standing in front of you_

_Saying I'm sorry for that night_

_And I go back to December all the time_

_It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you_

_Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine_

_And I'd go back to December, turn around_

_And make it all right_

_I go back to December all the time _

Apparently, Simon had played a prank on Tristan (involving me and a fake holiday card) and Tristan got revenge by breaking up with Megan over email (as Simon, of course; it was a hack), and then their family went to visit Ireland for winter break and Simon couldn't get signal.

He was completely oblivious because he couldn't check his email, and it took until the New Year for him to find out and message Megan back that it was a mistake.

Megs and Simon both look at each other at the same time, and start laughing. They say that people who spend a lot of time together start to act like each other, so maybe her influence is rubbing off, and vice versa.

I think the same thing is happening to all of the couples. Sure, I know that I won't be wearing spandex anytime soon, or that my sister-in-law Megan isn't taking a sudden interest in sci-fi movies or ancient architectural history like Simon.

But I can definitely tell that we're all having a big impact in each other's lives. I've noticed that Jess and Darcy both walk the same: same foot on beat after beat, left-right-left-right; same step length, so they get to the same places at the same time. Sometimes they're walking without each other, and it's still like they're marching in perfect synchronization.

It's obvious that Stewart and Emma are like twins, so there's not much improvement to be made there. Becca's become more like Zach: more reckless, more caring, and she's usually cheerful. Megan's still fashion-crazy, but you can just tell by looking at her that she's more like Simon. She's more polite, and more family-oriented. Am I more like Tristan? I can't tell, but I certainly hope so.

Even though I'd love to stay and listen to everybody's couple songs, not just the Berkeleys', I realize that it's really late and that Leo is getting fussy. Like my mom, I wrap things up quickly, and we promise to meet up in two days and continue the game and the conversation, too.

**Sorry I've taken so long writing Chapter 4; I've had writer's block. Anyway, what do you think of my one-shots? Should I continue the first one? Tell me what you think in the reviews! Thanks for reading!**


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